April 15, 2026 BROOKLYN, NY The streets of Brooklyn are no stranger to tragedy, but the air in Williamsburg felt different Tuesday. On one side of the borough, a tiny pink casket was carried through the streets in a horse-drawn carriage—a heartbreaking farewell to 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore. On the other, the man accused of helping her killer escape was breaking down in handcuffs.

The Escape and the Extradition

Matthew Rodriguez, 18, thought he could outrun the shadow of April 1st. Following the horrific shooting that claimed Kaori’s life as she was being pushed in her stroller, Rodriguez allegedly fled across state lines to Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

His sanctuary was short-lived. By April 3, authorities tracked him down, and on Tuesday, he was extradited back to New York’s 90th Precinct to face the music.

A Desperate Plea Outside the Precinct

As detectives led a shackled Rodriguez toward a waiting police vehicle for his arraignment, the weight of the charges seemed to finally crush him. When confronted with the reality of the victim’s age, the young man’s composure shattered.

"It’s not my fault, I don’t pull the trigger. I promise I didn’t know," Rodriguez sobbed, repeating the phrase like a mantra. "I didn’t know he was going to pull the trigger. I didn’t know he was going to do that."

Rodriguez is accused of operating the scooter used in the drive-by, while Amuri Greene allegedly fired the fatal shot from the back. While Rodriguez managed to flee the state after the duo collided with a vehicle during their getaway, Greene was apprehended after landing in a hospital.

A Life of Firsts, Cut Short

While the legal battle begins, the Patterson-Moore family is left with a void that no courtroom can fill. Kaori was a child on the verge of discovery; her family shared that she had only just begun to find her voice.

• First Words: She had just started saying "Mom."

• First Steps: She had taken her first steps just days before the shooting.

• A Community Pillar: Her grandmother insisted that this violence "doesn't define her," remembering a baby who was the light of her extended family.

The Legal Hammer Drops

Despite his claims of ignorance, the District Attorney’s office is not holding back. Rodriguez faces a staggering list of charges that could see him behind bars for the rest of his life:

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has indicated the shooting was likely gang-related, adding another layer of grim reality to a case where a "stray bullet" ended a life that had barely begun.